HORDES:Metamorphosis - Feb. 25th

Change of an epic scale is sweeping the land. Makeda leads the Army of the Western Reaches to the Abyssal Fortress. Thagrosh undergoes a terrifying transformation as the power of Everblight increases. Krueger pursues a path of glory and stirs an ancient enmity. Madrak struggles with the curse of Rathrok even as he relies on the axe's strength to defend his people. And above all, the dragon threat grows ever stronger.

HORDES: Metamorphosis is the second expansion for the award-winning miniatures battle game set in the untamed lands of the Iron Kingdoms. Evolve your Monstrous Miniatures Combat with:

Three commanding new warlocks for each faction, including new EPIC characters.

Powerful new warbeasts for each faction, ready to rile.

Dragoon rules introduced into HORDES for the first time.

New painting and modeling guides for each faction.

Limited edition hardcover available while supplies last.

Adapt and Annihilate! Be sure to reserve your copy today wherever Privateer Press products are sold!

Chun Li Evolution

Street Fighter 'Chun-Li Evolution' video

So far I'd have to say the Alpha 3 version is my favorite.  Hopefully, SF4 will change that.

Campaign World Ideas #1

Initial Random Ideas

So I have been brainstorming a good bit for my world.. I am far from the stage where I will assign name to things.. so everything will still be kind of vague right now.  I decided to build my ideas from the top down (at least in general terms).  Or, in another way, take a look at it from far away, and then zoom in.  I will be breaking down these first few ideas posts into:

• Cosmology (realms, planes, etc)
  
• Theology (gods and religions)
  
• Geography (landscape, continents, etc)
  
• Sociology (the races and people)
  

and besides... when I use big words, it makes me sound smart. :)

This is meant to be a "classic" Dungeons and Dragons world, full of all the normal D&D paraphernalia.  I will be using all of the classes and races from the Player's Handbook and the upcoming Player's Handbook II.  (However, I am not using the background material on those races) I am not using the Forgotten Realms stuff, and I probably won't incorporate the Power books until all of them are out.  So pretty much this is a "core book" campaign world.   Lucky for me, the "core" 4e is pretty diverse.

I will be building off of the "points of light" ideas put forth in the DMG... and a world that was once grandiose.. but now has been lost.  Having ruins everywhere of a once great society is a device used by lots of worlds.. Pathfinder, Iron Kingdoms, and they are very cool.   My goal I think, is to figure out what the ancient society was... so these ruins can carry a similar idea or style amongst them as they are discovered by the players...that's not to say there aren't dwarven or elven ruins scattered out there as well...I am sure there are.

I am actually kind of excited to use the Drow.  They have never been really big in my previous campaigns, but I am starting to develop some cool ideas for them.. possibly even making these dark elves into the aforementioned "great civilization" that is now lost.. what drove them into the Underdark to abandon the great cities and castles they had on the surface?  Not sure if this is the way I am headed.. just an idea.  Another idea is to make the lost society a combination fo the Tieflings and the Devas.  Basically, the Tieflings and Devas were the chosen people of the gods (some dark, some light) and their civilization was a grand thing to behold.. but then fell into utter ruin as they warred with each other.  the other races rose out of this and now the Devas and Tieflings are rare and few.  Actually.. I think I am liking that one better...

When it comes to gods... I am not using the D&D pantheon.  The great demon and devil lords I will be using...Orkus, etc.. but they are just that, demon lords, not gods.  The only god from the pantheon I am using is Tiamat. (and I have some ideas for her.. but that's for the Theology post) My plan is to simplify the gods down to a manageable number, while still remaining interesting and diverse.

The cosmology is actually seeming to be the easiest part.  I am going to be utilizing the 4e model of the planes.  I have yet to purchase the Manual of the Planes (worth buying?) but right now the model in the 4e DMG serves my purpose.  I don't think my players will be partaking in any extraplanar travel within the first 10 levels or so... there is plenty of time for this to take shape.

Shouldn't be long before I have the Cosmology/Threology posts up..

ONLY 6 EPISODES LEFT!!!!

Who wants to go home...

..and who wants to go with ME!

Watch the Greatest Scenes of the Street Fighter Movie at 1up

Street Fighter: The Movie 'Guile's Speech' clip

Good ol' Guile... no one inspires a crowd like you...

Street Fighter: The Movie 'Guile's Suicide Mission' clip

I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home.. oh wait.. wrong movie.. I think?

RYU

Cool.  1up.com is doing one of these videos every day this week  :)

Street Fighter 'Ryu Evolution' video

Pathfinder

Ok.. just got back from Philadelphia and some great role-playing... playing in the Pathfinder RPG system.  A brief summation followed by some highlights...

We only get to play for about 6 hours.. so the story progresses slowly.. but we have a great time none the less.  We have been hunting an escaped fugitive who had been working with some local goblin tribes... we tracked the goblin to their fortress which was situated on a rocky-cliff island off the coast.  It towered 80ft up and was only reachable by a rope bridge that swayed precariously over the waters... getting to the bridge itself was a challenge due to a huge maze or brambles/thorns that the goblins used as a forward base/guard house protecting the bridge and entrance to the fortress.

Highlights:

• Maze of brambles patrolled by a Goblin Druid and his panther-like companion, he was playing hide-n-seek within the brambles, some entangling ensued...
• Reached Bride, took out some Goblin "snipers" with Wand of Produce Flame
• Crossing the bridge.. was actually a trap, one side fell away.. and of course.. my character fell.  When he hit the water he had 0 HP.. was able to Channel Positive Energy to Heal, but flailed around, my swim check was -6 at the time, until a rope was finally able to be lowered and I was pulled to safety... almost has to make a new character.
• Searched goblin fortress... found a pen of rabbits the goblins kept for food...our gnome talked to them and freed them to "run amok" in the fortress... lol... silly gnomes...
• We stopped to rest before reaching the fortress, calculated exp and got to 3rd level!  but our party, has a habit of NOT resting long enough for spellcasters to regain spells... (we have a cleric and sorcerer)
• Stumbled into the "throne room", lots of goblins, goblin war chief, goblin war singer, a couple goblin dogs, and a big lizard creature (war chief's mount)... big battle, but we had to stop there...
  

Up till now we had been playing a combination of Pathfinder and 3.5 DnD.. this adventure we switched fully over into Pathfinder.  Here's the big changes to clerics..

Turn Undead is now Channel Positive Energy.  Only usable a number of times per day = to your CHA modifier + 4... My 3rd Level cleric can do it 6 times per day.  30' Radius burst, all undead take 1d6 Dmg per 2 caster levels, and make Will save (CHA based) or flee, save can also half damage.  Any living creatures in the burst are healed the same amount.  Waaaay better than Turn Undead... simple, easy to understand, cool, and very useful.

Domains - You still pick two, but instead of providing you with an extra spell choice for each spell level you know, they provide specific bonus spells (as spell like abilities) or special powers.. I think they hit every 3 levels.. example, my cleric has the Sun and Glory domains:

• Touch of Glory -grants target a bonus to any CHA based check = to my caster level
• Shield of Faith 2/day
• Sun's Touch - Melee touch attack vs Undead, Damage = 1d8 + Caster Level
• Produce Flame 2/day

I get all of those powers/spells.. I don't pick and choose.. I get another power/spell from each domain at level 4, then at level 8.

Basically, they made all the character classes more varied, and took out any of the clunkier abilities.  Everyone has more options...which is a good thing.  :)